


Only Other Number

by Charlie9513



Series: The Josh and Buck Story [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Josh deserves better, M/M, Maddie Buckley being a big sister, Morning Buck, My First Fanfic, Nightmares, Protective Evan "Buck" Buckley, Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley, Some angst, That is a character all in itself, The Buckley Siblings, This is when josh got mugged, god i love these two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23503444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie9513/pseuds/Charlie9513
Summary: If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want to be alone right now, and the hospital just gave him the reason he needed.  The real problem was, Maddie wasn’t answering her phone.Though, of course, she wasn’t.  She was at work. Covering for him. Because he had a date.“Is there anyone else I can call for you, Mr. Russo?”Closing his eyes, he rattled off the only number he had memorized, besides his parents in Omaha.“Evan Buckley,” he said, leaning back on the exam bed to wait.  He decided to spend the next, however long it took, cursing himself for not having memorized anyone else’s number.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Josh Russo
Series: The Josh and Buck Story [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697647
Comments: 51
Kudos: 315





	1. The Call

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt that started all of this by Tumblr user no-anchovies-please :
> 
> Maddie wasn’t answering her phone.  
> Of course, she wasn’t, Josh sighed to himself. She’s at work. Covering his shift so he could go on his date.  
> “Is there anyone else I can call for you, Mr. Russo?”  
> Josh closed his eyes and rattled off the only other number, besides his parents in Omaha, that he knew by heart.  
> “Evan Buckley,” he said. He leaned back on the exam bed to wait.  
> –  
> Someone write that please, cause I really don’t want to start another fic when I got like 5 going. I just really want some Josh and Buck content. Platonic, shippy, I don’t care. Please and thank you! 
> 
> I really hope this doesn't suck!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh has to call Buck after being jumped by his date.

He had been at the hospital for over an hour already. Josh had talked to 3 nurses, a doctor, and a kind police officer. He just wanted to leave, but they wouldn’t release him without another person. Well, they strongly advised against it, and who was he to disagree? 

If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want to be alone right now, and the hospital just gave him the reason he needed. The real problem was, Maddie wasn’t answering her phone.

Though, of course, she wasn’t. She was at work. Covering for him. Because he had a date.

“Is there anyone else I can call for you, Mr. Russo?”

Closing his eyes, he rattled off the only number he had memorized, besides his parents’ in Omaha. 

“Evan Buckley,” he said, leaning back on the exam bed to wait. He decided to spend the next, however long it took, cursing himself for not having memorized anyone else’s number.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buck was just coming off shift when his phone began to ring. Looking down at the number, two questions flew through his mind immediately. One, why would the hospital be calling him this late on a Saturday? Two, why the hell did he have the hospital’s phone number memorized? He almost thought too hard for too long and missed the call. On the last ring, he answered. 

“Hello, Evan Buckley?” the voice on the other end of the phone asked.

“Uh, yes?” 

“Hi, we have a Josh Russo in the Emergency room. Yours is the number he gave to come pick him up.”

He froze, halfway through the parking lot. Josh? What happened to Josh? Buck’s heart sank. He just saw Josh two nights ago, everything was fine then. Well except his sister being the absolute worst wingman ever. I mean yes, she didn’t know that Buck even wanted her to wingman, he just...Josh was cute and they were having fun and-

“Mr. Buckley?”

“Oh! Okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible.” Buck, startled that he got that lost in his own head, finally kicked his ass into gear and jogged the rest of the way to his Jeep. “Is there anything you can tell me about what happened?”

“I’m sorry sir, he will have to tell you when you arrive, we are not authorized to give you any details.”

“Okay, thank you, please tell him I’ll be there as soon as possible.” Buck hung up the phone and, maybe, broke some traffic laws on the way to the Hospital. Now that he had a moment to think, he began to wonder why Josh would have had the hospital call him. He shoved that thought aside as he found a parking spot outside the Emergency Room. 

Buck was guided to a single exam room, where he found Josh sitting on an exam table. When Josh turned to face him, Buck froze. 

“Hi, I’m sorry,” Josh sounded so resigned, so sad, Buck felt like he was pulled forward by his heart. 

“What happened?” Buck felt his hand flinch, tempted to touch Josh’s face. He was so thrown by the state Josh was in that he almost didn’t register what he said. “Wait, no, don’t be sorry. I’m glad you called.”

“It’s just, Maddie wasn’t picking up-”

“She’s at work, she said she had to cover for...wait. Josh. What happened?” Buck started to remember Maddie talking about Josh having a date tonight, so she was going to cover for him.

“I got jumped. They took my phone, wallet, keys. Everything, they took everything.” Buck could see a wall going up behind Josh’s eyes as he spoke. 

“Was this after your date? Maddie mentioned-”

“It was my date” Josh’s wall began to crack, right along with his voice. “It was, he set me up.”

Buck was trying to think of anything to say when a kind looking police officer came in. She told them that they found Josh’s phone and wallet, but the cash was gone. Josh made a joke about replacing his credit cards, but Buck could tell there was really very little humor behind his words. She told him where he could make a statement. 

“Can I do that tomorrow, I’m just really wiped.” Buck could tell that Josh just wanted to get out of there, and he was determined to help him do that however he could.

Then she asked him if he was sure that Josh didn’t recognize either man, and this gave Buck pause.

“No, I didn’t, it was dark,” Josh gave Buck a look that screamed don’t say anything, please. So he didn’t.

When the officer left Josh just said: “I already feel like enough of a fool, I don’t need anyone else in on the joke.”

“Okay” He didn’t like it, but Buck could work on that later. Now, he just wanted to get Josh out of there.

Only after Josh checked himself out of the Emergency room, and they were walking to Buck’s car, did Buck think to ask where Josh wanted to go.

“Just take me to Maddie’s. Please.” 

“Josh, her shift started two hours ago, and it's all night. Are you sure?” 

“You’re right, but they took my phone. Buck, what if they know where I live, what if they can-” Josh trailed off, Buck could tell he was afraid to continue down that line of thought. 

“Josh, are you okay to come to my place? I will take you anywhere you want, I just want to be sure you’re safe and okay.” Buck was sure that Josh shouldn’t be alone, and selfishly, Buck could keep an eye on him if Josh was in his apartment. Josh’s response was so quiet, Buck almost missed it. 

“Yeah, that would be nice.”

As they got to Buck’s Jeep, he really took stock of Josh’s appearance. His face was swollen and bruised, and while all of the cuts had stopped bleeding, his sweater was covered in his own blood. It broke Buck’s heart. He could see how cute Josh had looked for his date, and he had to have it ruined by terrible people. Before helping Josh into the Jeep, Buck had an idea.

“Hey, Josh, I am going to offer something, and you can say no if you want. No pressure at all.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With all that had happened in the last 5 hours, Josh figured those words would make him very nervous. Normally whenever someone said something like “no pressure” all Josh would feel was pressure. Right now, though, feeling this scared and leaning against Evan Buckley’s Jeep, he really felt no pressure. He looked up at Buck and saw how concerned he was. 

“Okay, what is it?” Josh practically whispered. 

“You’re sweater, it’s cov-” Buck paused and continued softly as if he was going to scare Josh away. “It’s got some blood on it, and I have one of my hoodies in the backseat. Do you maybe want to change? I promise it’s clean! And you really don’t have to if you don’t want to…”

“Yeah, that sounds nice, actually,” Josh had barely let himself think about the fact that he was covered in blood. His blood. And, it was a sweet thing for Buck to offer. Josh even let himself chuckle at how frazzled Buck got to ensure him that the hoodie was clean. When Josh said yes, he saw a small smile form on Buck’s face. That was a welcome sight. It was disconcerting to have this puppy of a man not exude his normal bright energy. 

Buck rummaged through the back seat and grabbed out a folded up LAFD hoodie. Josh tried to make quick work of taking off his sweater, but it caught on a cut on his face and he froze, hissing in pain. He felt more than heard Buck step closer.

“May I help you?” Buck asked quietly. All Josh could do was nod. Buck placed the sweatshirt on top of the Jeep and reached forward. He helped open the sweater a little more, allowing Josh to release himself from its hold. Buck took the sweater and immediately threw it into the trunk of the Jeep. Josh followed the movement with his eyes, thankful he didn’t have to look at it any more than necessary. He looked back at Buck and was surprised to see a conflicted look on his face. Josh followed Buck’s eyes and saw that a lot of the blood had soaked through to his shirt underneath. He began scrambling to take the shirt off, suddenly desperate to be rid of as much of this night as possible.

Buck reacted quickly, reaching forward to help the shirt over his head, much like he did with the sweater. When Josh was free of the blood-stained clothing, Buck threw this shirt into the trunk as well and reached for the sweatshirt on top of the Jeep. Buck had to basically reach over Josh to get the sweatshirt, boxing him in, and for the second time that night, Josh was surprised at how safe he felt with Evan Buckley. 

Buck went to hand Josh the sweatshirt and Josh heard his sharp intake of breath. Josh looked up and saw Buck staring at his side. Josh was sure that there was a large bruise blooming there, but he couldn’t bring himself to look. He started to fold in on himself self-consciously when Buck shook out of his shock.

“I’m so sorry, Josh,” Buck said with the softest voice Josh had ever heard him use. Buck helped him into the sweatshirt, careful not to let it touch the cuts and bruises on his face. He gently pulled the hem down, enveloping Josh in a sweatshirt that was baggy on him, and smelled like Evan Buckley. Josh felt so much relief, and when he saw Buck smile shyly, he let himself fall forward into Buck’s chest. Buck immediately wrapped his arms around Josh’s shoulders. Josh wrapped his arms around Buck’s waist and gripped the back of his shirt. He finally felt safe enough to allow a few small tears out. If Buck noticed, he didn’t say anything, just held Josh a little tighter.

Josh didn’t know how long they stayed like that, or when Buck had begun whispering “I’ve got you” over and over, or if he actually felt a kiss pressed into the top of his head. Eventually, Josh leaned back and smiled up at Buck. 

“Thank you,” Josh said, “I needed that.”

“Anytime,” Buck said as he opened Josh’s door. He caught Josh’s eye before closing the door, “Really, Josh, anything you need. I’m here for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly love these two, oh my god.


	2. The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh spends the night, and Buck helps him through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who says I need a posting schedule? Not me! 
> 
> This thing is like a slow burn, but in such a short time. Sorry 'bout it.

The drive to Buck’s apartment was silent. Buck kept glancing over to check on Josh. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he was sure he wanted to keep checking. When they parked, Buck got out and went to grab his work duffle from the back seat. Discreetly, he shoved Josh’s shirts into the bag. He hoped he could salvage them; given his line of work, he’d had to wash out many difficult stains. He walked around the Jeep until he reached Josh, who was standing just outside the passenger door and staring at the apartment building. Josh was looking more nervous with every passing moment, so, without thinking, Buck placed his hand on Josh’s lower back. 

“You still want to stay here?” Buck asked, trying and failing to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice. Relief washed through him when Josh turned to him and nodded. 

Buck had to talk Josh into taking the bed in the loft. It had been a discussion, but Buck could see how exhausted Josh was. Besides tomorrow was Buck’s day off; he would be fine with a night on the couch. And, not that he would fully admit it, he was glad to be between Josh and the door. Or, as much as you can be in his apartment. 

Once Josh was showered, in some borrowed pajamas, and asleep, Buck texted Maddie to call him as soon as she had a break. He waited for a response while he went to work on Josh’s shirts. After about an hour, his phone began to ring, and he answered as quietly as he could.

“Evan. Buckley. First I get a call from the Emergency Room, then this cryptic text.” Maddie sounded like she was stuck between livid and worried. “I swear, if you are injured again, I will never forgive you.”

“Mads, I’m fine” Buck tried his best to reassure his sister. Though he knew the reality of the situation was no better. “It was, um...It’s Josh”

Buck proceeded to tell Maddie all he knew. That he had to pick Josh up from the Emergency Room, and it was his date who had jumped him. When Maddie was thoroughly convinced that Josh was now safe and asleep, Buck finally asked the questions he wanted to. He asked what she knew, who this guy was, how Josh met him. Buck asked enough questions that Maddie started to worry.

“Evan, I know this tone,” Maddie sighed, “Please don’t go doing anything stupid. Just take care of my best friend for me. I have to go back to work; I’ll come over after my shift.”

“No, Maddie. It’s fine. I’ll keep him safe here, and we’ll call you whenever he’s ready in the morning. Have a good shift.” Buck tried his best to be reassuring, though he was definitely planning all the things he would do if he ever found the guys that did this to Josh. 

After the phone call with Maddie ended, Buck decided he should try to get some sleep. He had brought his pillow and some blankets downstairs. He was just about to crawl into bed, or couch, when he heard some restless noises coming from the loft. He thought about it for a quick second before going up the stairs quietly. By the time he got upstairs, Josh was sitting up and breathing heavy. 

“Hey, hey,” Buck said softly, crossing over to the bed. “Josh, what happened?” Josh just looked at him with these wide, scared eyes. It took a lot of effort for Buck to not start crying, with the broken look Josh was giving him. “Can I sit with you?” And with that, a sob broke from Josh’s chest, and he nodded. 

That was all Buck needed. He climbed into the bed and pulled Josh to his chest. He vaguely noticed that Josh had put his sweatshirt back on, which he had left on edge of the bed. Buck just held him, letting out reassuring whispers until Josh calmed down enough to breathe. 

“I’m sorry I woke you,” Josh said, sounding small. 

“You didn’t, I hadn’t gone to sleep yet,” Buck said, still keeping his arms around the now shaking man. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Josh nodded, pulling back to look at Buck. “They got in,” he whispered, “They found me and got into the apartment.”

“You know I won’t let anything happen to you,” Buck said gently, pulling Josh back into his chest. 

“You’re a good man, you know,” Josh said, and Buck could hear a small smile in his words. “Taking care of your sister’s friend.” That made Buck pull back. He took Josh’s face in his hands gently, making sure Buck had his attention.

“You know that’s not the reason I’m helping you, right?” Buck was earnest. Josh shrugged, trying to look away. “Josh, I’m helping you because of you. Because you are an amazing, sweet, sunshiney man. And, you deserve wonderful things, and if that isn’t happening I will do everything in my power to keep the bad things away from you.” Buck realized he was rambling, finishing softly with “I can’t stand to see you hurt.”

Josh patted his hand and smiled sadly. “Thank you. That was sweet.” Josh didn’t look like he believed him. Buck silently vowed to do whatever he can to make Josh believe. Buck was lost in the feel of Josh’s face in his hands, and how small Josh looked in his sweatshirt when Josh’s voice broke through his thoughts. “I think I want to try to sleep again. Thank you, Buck. Good night.”

Josh curled under the blankets again and rolled over. Buck did his best to ignore the flutter he got in his stomach at seeing BUCKLEY across Josh’s back. He just put his hand on Josh’s back and whispered “Goodnight,” before going downstairs, crawling under the blankets on the couch.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were a blissful few moments, just as Josh woke up, that he forgot about all of the bad that happened the night before. It was when he slowly blinked his eyes open and saw an unfamiliar bedroom, that it all came rushing back. He sprang up in bed, trying to slow his thoughts down. The movement hurt his side, and his head, so much that he had to sit still for almost a minute to collect himself. While he was collecting himself he took note of the bed he was in, unfamiliar and yet very comforting. Also, he had never owned a sweatshirt that fit him this large, and it took him some thought to finally put the pieces together. 

He was at Evan Buckley’s apartment. His best friend’s little brother came and picked him up from the hospital, took him back to his own apartment, and cared for him. Buck had held him after a nightmare.

He thinks. 

There’s a chance that was a dream. 

It would be a nice balance. Have a nightmare of the date from hell, but then have a dream where a wonderfully caring, and very strong man, held him until the fear went away. Yeah. That could not have been real, that must have been a dream. He could deal with that later, right now, all he wanted was a cup of coffee.

Josh tiptoed down the stairs from the loft into a quiet apartment. Well almost quiet, there were some soft snores coming from the couch in the living room. He made his way into the kitchen, exceedingly grateful to find a Keurig sitting on the counter. Nice and easy. He found a pot for it and began brewing some. Buck had stayed up after a shift, that was who knows how long, to care for Josh. The least Josh could do was make him some coffee. 

Josh was just pouring his coffee into a mug when he noticed the snores had stopped. He bent into the fridge to grab some milk, surprised to only find non-dairy milk, for his coffee. As he stood and turned around, he froze. 

Standing before him was Evan Buckley. Yes, he knew Buck was in the apartment. That wasn’t the surprise. The surprise was a shirtless Evan Buckley, with crazy curly hair and sleep lines on his face. That Evan Buckley makes you freeze in your tracks. Especially when Buck’s looking at him like...like…

Like what? Josh didn’t know. Buck’s eyes were so soft, and they held his smile. Almost like he, too, forgot why Josh was here for a second but was glad he was. Josh watched the change as Buck woke up, and remembered. Josh wanted that soft happy look to come back, so he decided that talking now might be a good idea. 

“Coffee?” Josh asked, grabbing a mug. 

“Uh, yeah, coffee,” Buck said, his voice still thick with sleep. He started to take a step to the counter stools then stopped. “Sorry, I’ll just go grab my shirt real quick…”

Buck hurried into the living room, rifling under the blankets. Josh was sure he heard some mumbling about it being too hot last night and a few apologies sprinkled in. He just chuckled and poured a coffee into the second mug, and milk into his own. The smile from the chuckle pulled at the cuts and bruises on his face making him wince. Josh heard Buck coming back and looked up to watch him pull on a gray t-shirt. Which was tragic. He tried to cover the wince when he noticed how intensely Buck was watching him. 

“Do you need anything? Like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Aleve? An ice pack? Anything?” Buck must have seen the wince because his “I want to help” ramble was impressive. Josh just smiled again, grimacing a little, and pushed Buck’s coffee towards him.

“Not right now, Buck, thank you,” Josh said, coming around the island to sit on a stool. “Just drink your coffee, I’m sorry if I woke you.”

Buck poured some of the milk in his coffee and put the carton away. He grabbed his mug and sat on the stool closest to Josh, which took Josh a little by surprise. Buck took a sip of his coffee and smiled at Josh over the top of his mug.

“There are worse ways to wake up.” And that...that sounded like flirting. Josh tried to brush it off; Buck was probably tired. He hadn’t had any coffee yet. Maybe he was flirty when he was tired. But then Buck’s face went serious, and he asked: “Did you have any more nightmares?” 

“Oh no,” Josh groaned, “My breakdown in the middle of the night was not an extension of my nightmare, was it?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Buck sounded only mildly amused, “But you’re avoiding answering the question.”

“I had one more, but it wasn’t as bad,” Josh said, resigned. At least it didn’t seem like Buck was judging him. “They were honestly all more like memories.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Buck placed his hand on Josh’s arm, coffee forgotten. “When you experience something traumatic, it helps to have someone know what you went through. It helps you feel less alone.” Buck sounded sad, and Josh remembered how much he had actually been through. The ladder truck, the tsunami, his big sister being kidnapped. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that this man, who exudes energy that rivals the sun, has fought through so much. So, he took some strength from the hand that was still on his arm. 

“Yeah, that would be nice, it just might take a while…” Josh said.

“Take your time, we’ve got all day,” Buck said, a small smile forming on his lips. He grabbed his coffee again, moving his other hand down to Josh’s hand. Josh took a deep breath and began telling Buck everything that happened the night before, nightmares and all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know with so much Buddie, we see a whole lot of soft Buck needing protection. But like. Soft Buck is cannon, and so is protective Buck. So I want to see Soft Protective Buck more.


	3. Best Friend's Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddie comes over and takes care of her boys. Also, more soft protective Evan Buckley.
> 
> Chapter title from the song by the Victorious Cast, because I couldn't help myself...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is a little slow, but I feel its necessary. I needed it to set up for what I see coming next. Trust me, they're still cute.
> 
> Also, I finally had a friend beta read my whole fic, so I updated the last two chapters. Nothing really changed, just minor typos and grammar problems.

They spent all morning talking. Buck made breakfast, they each had another cup of coffee, and Buck cleared off the couch so they both could sit comfortably. With Buck’s back facing the door, they sat facing each other in preparation for Josh to finish his saga with the nightmares. 

Both of them were similar, the first one was, as he had said the night before, that the men had found him in Buck’s apartment. They broke in, incapacitated Buck, and came up the stairs for Josh. 

Buck couldn’t tell if he was more surprised that he was in the dream at all, or that Josh seemed caught on Buck being injured.

The second was almost a replay of the night.

Josh had trailed off during the second nightmare and stared into his third cup of coffee. Buck chose to ignore the tear tracks he could see running down Josh’s face. He just reached forward to place his hand on Josh’s knee.

“You don’t need to tell me any more if you don’t want to.” He did his best to sound reassuring. “Thank you for telling me as much as you did.”

Josh shrugged. Buck just gripped his knee tighter. “Do you want to watch some mindless TV for a little while?”

“Yeah, that would be great,” Josh said with a small smile. “I should maybe get dressed though, so you can have your sweatshirt back.”

“No!” Buck said a little too quickly. Josh looked at him curiously. Reaching forward to pull the hood onto Josh’s head, he continued, “I don’t care, you can keep it as long as you want. You look...comfortable.” Buck scolded himself for almost saying cute. Now was not the time to flirt with this man. No matter how badly he wanted to.

Josh looked like he was about to say something, a blush creeping up his cheeks, when a knock sounded on the front door. 

Josh jumped.

Buck turned to face the door and, when another knock came and a key was heard in the lock, he felt Josh huddle up to his back. Buck reached back to reassure Josh that he was safe, his hand landing on Josh’s arm. When he heard a soft “Evan?” coming from the door, he realized who it was.

He turned to whisper to Josh, “It’s just Maddie.” Josh refused to look up at him, staring down at a seam on the couch. Buck gently put his hand on Josh’s cheek to get his attention, “It’s Maddie, Josh. She’s just worried about you. You stay here, I’ll go talk to her.” When Josh nodded Buck stood from the couch, telling him to come into the kitchen whenever he was ready.

Buck found Maddie in the kitchen, washing dishes from their breakfast. Buck knew it was just to keep busy; to keep the worry from eating away at her. Even though he said he’d call her when Josh was ready, Buck was grateful his sister was here. When she saw him, she pulled him into a tight hug. Neither knew who was comforting whom, they just drew strength from the other for as long as they could. When they finally pulled away, Maddie asked: “How is he?”

“He’s okay. Shaken, but okay,” Buck said quietly, keeping half an eye on the entrance to the living room. “He’s a bit bruised Mads-” Buck’s voice betrayed him, breaking a little. His sister pulled him back down to her. Buck melted into his older sister’s arms.

“Thank you for taking care of him…” she whispered. The moment was cut short by the sound of feet shuffling into the kitchen.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh sat on the couch for what felt like an hour- probably only two minutes. He had to calm down. With great effort, he put his racing thoughts in order. First, if he didn’t know any better, he’d think Buck wanted Josh to stay in his sweatshirt. Second, Josh was surprised at how second nature it was for him to trust Buck. He was so scared, and his first instinct was to hide behind Evan Buckley. 

That’s new.

Josh heard murmurs coming from the kitchen, breaking him out of his thoughts. Thoughts that had begun to drift dangerously back to the sleepy Evan Buckley he saw this morning. 

He pulled the hood of Buck’s sweatshirt off his head, and the sleeves around his hands. He wore that sweatshirt like it was a hug and armor in one large and cozy package. Resolutely, he stood and walked into the kitchen. 

The scene in the kitchen tugged at his heart. He had always been in awe of the bond between the Buckley siblings. Watching them draw strength from each other is an incredible sight. He knew that, together, the two were a force to be reckoned with. And somehow, he was lucky enough to be behind that force. He had never felt so thankful. 

Maddie must have heard him come in because she pulled back from Buck to look at Josh. When she really took him in, she let out a soft “oh, Josh” before she rushed around the island to him. Josh thought he saw Buck turn away to discreetly wipe his eyes, but Maddie was there before he could really focus on it. 

From behind Maddie, Buck said he was going to go take a shower and let them talk. Josh watched him walk up the stairs towards the bathroom-

...And Josh had to shut that train of thought down fast. Now was not the time. He needed to talk to Maddie about everything that happened last night. He needed to talk to his best friend. And, not be thinking about her brother. In the shower.

His best friend’s brother.

God, when did he become this cliché? 

He turned back to Maddie when he heard the bathroom door close, and she reached up to touch his cheek. 

Josh broke.

“God, Maddie, I feel like such a fool.” 

“Hey, no, you’re not a fool.” He saw her try to hold back tears to stay strong for him. “You just trusted the wrong person.”

Having time with Maddie brought more ease than he realized he needed. They moved to the couch, sitting much like he and Buck had earlier, and Josh filled Maddie in on everything. 

The date, being jumped, and then Buck coming to get him. He made sure to leave out some of the bits he was still processing. Like the few times, he thought Buck may have been flirting. And, the times that Josh wanted to flirt back. 

Slowly, throughout the conversation, Maddie and Josh migrated to the center of the couch and cuddled under some of the blankets Buck had left on the floor. They turned on some Nailed It and fell into a comfortable silence.

Josh was safe.

It had been less than 24 hours since the worst night of his life, and it surprised him how quickly he felt secure. But, the Buckley siblings have that effect on people. He laid his head back and basked in the comfort he felt. 

He basked so hard that he fell asleep. Holding his best friend’s hand.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buck took his time in the shower. He knew Josh needed some time with Maddie, and Maddie would need some time with Josh. 

While Buck got dressed, he noted how quiet his apartment had become. Though he did hear the TV playing, and he was pretty sure it was Nailed It. That made him smile. It had become Maddie and Buck’s “I need to feel happy” show. On Buckley sibling nights, especially after particularly rough shifts, they would turn it on just to save themselves from their own minds. 

Coming down the stairs, he smiled at his sister and Josh curled up on his couch. Both had fallen asleep. 

The rest of the day was as normal as it could have been. Buck made some lunch as they slept and they all ate when the two had woken. They were able to just chat about Maddie’s overnight shift and Buck’s shift from the day before, like everything was normal. Buck watched Josh slowly open up throughout the day. His heart swelled each time he succeeded in making Josh smile. He felt determined to do anything he could to keep that bright smile on Josh’s face. 

As the evening came to a close, Maddie asked Josh if he wanted to stay at her place. Josh wasn’t ready yet to go home, and Maddie had the next two days off. Buck silently wished that Josh could stay with him, but Buck had to work the next few days. He knew Maddie would be the more stable choice. That way Josh wouldn’t have to be alone, even during the day.

Maddie and Josh decided to run to his house on the way to her apartment to pick up some of his clothes. When the subject of clothes came up, Josh started to look around anxiously. 

“What do you need, Josh?” Buck asked softly. Maddie had gone to the bathroom in preparation for the drive.

“My sweater?” Josh looked uncomfortable. “You probably want your sweatshirt back, but I don’t know where my shirts are from last night.”

“They are in my laundry room, and they are not ready for you yet,” Buck stated emphatically. “I don’t care about the sweatshirt. Keep it as long as you need.”

Josh seemed relieved. “Thank you. I can take my sweater and shirt back, you shouldn’t have to deal with that.”

“You will not take them back.” Buck insisted, “I’ll clean them, and you will get them back when they are good as new.”

Josh smiled a bit and Buck noticed him tug the sleeves down over his hands. “Hey Josh, can you promise me something?”

Josh nodded, “Yeah, probably.”

“Call me if you need me.” Josh chuckled but sobered when Buck caught his eye. “Josh, I mean it. I’m here for you no matter what. And I want you to call me if you need me at all. Or even text me. Just please reach out to me if you need anything.

“I know you only called me because Maddie wasn’t answering, and I understand that. Just, I’m not just your friend’s brother, I’m your friend too. Or at least…” Buck trailed off

“I will,” Josh whispered, and Buck pulled him in close. He felt Josh’s hands climb up his back and clutch his shirt. Buck heard the bathroom door open, he pressed a quick kiss to the top of Josh’s head and pulled back. Josh smiled up at him as Maddie came down the stairs. 

Buck walked them to the door, only closing it when he no longer saw either of them. Buck climbed the stairs and collapsed onto his bed, hoping that Josh would actually call him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a little brother, and we are super close. But we have a 5 year age gap, so I relate to Maddie and Buck super hard all the time. I'm hoping to put more Buckley sibling magic in here.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry it's become a kind of a slow burn, but we all know that Buck would never make a move this soon. He would wait ages for Josh to make the first move because Buck wants to hurt no one.


	4. The Second Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh has a hard time sleeping his first night back in his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so last chapter. Only because I have SO MANY thoughts. So I'm just going to make a part two.

Buck sent a text to Josh as soon as he woke up. He knew it was probably overkill, but he was worried. 

BUCK 6:45 am  
Good morning, I hope you slept well!

BUCK 6:46 am  
Oh! And ask Maddie for her banana pancakes. They’re amazing and she puts chocolate chips in them, and she can never say no :)

He didn’t get a response until he was walking into work. He waited to check it until after he was dressed and in the loft for breakfast.

JOSH 7:55 am  
Thanks for the pancakes, you were right. Amazing. Now, go save lives, don’t worry about me.

BUCK 8:01 am  
I will always worry about you, thank you very much. Have a good day with Maddie

“Hey, Buck, why does your face look like that?” Chim asked. Everyone sitting around the table looked up at him and Buck tried to wipe the grin he had off his face.

“Just texting a friend…” Buck sincerely hoped Chim would just drop it. He should have known better.

“OOOOH, a girlfriend?” Hen piped in. 

“She must be cute if he’s making that dopey-ass face.” Laughed Eddie

Buck was trying to think of something to say when, luckily, the alarm sounded and they were off. 

The rest of the shift flew by with minimal teasing. The next three shifts were the same. He would text Josh each morning to check-in. They would have a small conversation until Buck’s shift started. A conversation that Buck would then think about all day. And, he was smiling enough that the team’s teasing was a constant. He knew Josh was safe staying at Maddie’s, but still, each night Buck would shoot a good night text. 

Maybe Buck hoped that the night time text would remind Josh that he could call Buck. 

Maybe Buck was a little sad that he never got that call. 

He could never be too disappointed, though. If he didn’t get the call, that meant Josh was doing well. Buck was happy about that. 

That changed at around 12 am, three days after Josh left Buck’s apartment. 

Buck had had a long shift, followed by dinner at the Diaz house. He finally crashed in his bed at 11 pm. An hour later he awoke to his phone ringing. He answered without looking at the name.

“Hi, Buck....” Buck vaulted up in bed. Josh had called. And, he sounded so small.

“Josh, what’s wrong?” Buck did his best to jumpstart his brain out of sleep mode. “Are you safe? Is Maddie there?”

“She had to work tonight. I’m at home.” Josh seemed shaken. Buck got out of bed and threw on some sweatpants, tripping as he tried to keep walking before the sweatpants were fully on.

“Alone?” Buck began shoving what he needed for tomorrow’s shift into his work bag. He didn’t have to go in until the afternoon, but it didn’t seem like he would make it back to his apartment before work. “Did you have another nightmare?”

“I can’t sleep, I keep hearing noises. I know it’s probably just branches, it is windy, but I can’t stop thinking…”

“I’ll be there soon, okay? I’m about 10 minutes away.” Buck grabbed his keys off of the island and locked his door on the way out. 

“Wait...here? Buck I already woke you up, you don’t need to come here. We can just talk on the phone, that would be enough.” Josh sounded confused, but his attempts to tell Buck to stay home sounded so feeble, Buck kept walking to his car. 

“I’ll be there soon. I’ll text you when I get there to unlock the door for me.” And, that was it. Buck started his Jeep and began driving to Josh’s house. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buck was coming over. Buck was going to be in Josh’s house. He had only been here once before, and that was to pick Maddie up from dinner after one too many glasses of wine. 

But, now Buck was coming to his house. In the middle of the night. Because Josh was scared. 

The moment they hung up the phone Josh began pacing around his house. He didn’t know what to expect, but he was happy it was happening. 

True to his word, Buck texted him about 10 minutes later that he was walking up. Josh opened the door and spotted Buck walking up his sidewalk. Josh welcomed a smile onto his face, especially after seeing the duffel bag on Buck’s shoulder. When Buck saw Josh, Buck’s determined face split into a megawatt grin. 

Josh’s stomach turned to jelly. 

The second Buck reached the door he dropped his bag and enveloped Josh into his arms. Josh felt like Buck was trying to piece him back together and be the glue that holds Josh in on piece, all at the same time.

This was, without a doubt, exactly where Josh wanted to be.

They pulled away. Josh led Buck to the kitchen after closing the door and double-checking that he locked it.

Walking to the kitchen, Josh heard Buck take in a sharp breath before nearly whispering, “You’re wearing my shirt again.” 

Josh turned around and noticed a soft, shy, smile on Buck’s face. The look Buck was giving him sent butterflies straight to Josh’s stomach. He answered as he got them each a glass of water, “Yeah, I thought it would help.”

“Did it?”

Josh paused as he thought. “A little, yeah.”

“Good.”

They sat and talked in the kitchen for about 40 minutes before Buck’s eye’s started flagging. Josh could see how hard he was trying to stay alert. It was honestly, really, very cute. He reached forward and grabbed Buck’s hand, whispering “Come on, I’ll show you the guest room.”

“No, I’m fine.” It really was a valiant effort. Josh might have believed him if Buck hadn’t intertwined their fingers and followed him freely. At the door, they paused with their fingers still linked. Buck looked down at Josh, with a soft smile on his face. 

“I’m glad you called me,” Buck whispered. “I’m glad I can be here for you. And, your face seems to be healing…” He trailed off. 

While watching Buck try to figure out what to say was remarkably cute, Josh decided to save him. “Thank you for coming,” Filled with a sudden sense of courage Josh leaned up on his toes and pressed a slow kiss to Buck’s cheek. He heard Buck’s breath hitch. “Thank you for being my knight.”

“Um...yeah...anytime?” 

“Buck?” Josh sought to get the nervous man’s attention. With his hand remaining on Buck’s cheek, Josh murmured, “goodnight.” And, he leaned up one more time to place a kiss on Buck’s other cheek, a little closer to his mouth. This man came over in the middle of the night, Josh could be a little bold.

“Yeah, goodnight.”

They finally parted hands when Buck closed his door. Josh couldn’t help himself from smiling like an idiot on his walk to his room. As he laid down in bed, he was amazed at how quickly he was falling asleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buck woke up in an unfamiliar bed. He glanced around to get his bearings, and the night before came back to him. He was at Josh’s house. 

Josh had called.

Josh had kissed his cheek. Twice?

Buck had been taking his time, and he still wanted to, but maybe that was Josh telling him something. Maybe Buck could try to ask him out? 

He lay there thinking for a while until he began to smell coffee and eggs. 

Enticed by the smell of breakfast, Buck pulled himself out of the warm bed and shuffled towards the kitchen. He paused in the doorway to the kitchen, just to watch for a moment. 

Josh had music playing and was dancing around the kitchen while he cooked. Paired with that sweatshirt he always seems to be wearing made it hard for Buck to look away. He didn’t know what it was, there was just something about this adorable man with BUCKLEY emboldened across his back. 

Josh began to use the spatula as a microphone, and Buck could no longer hold back a chuckle. Josh whipped around when he heard it, a blush sneaking up his cheeks. Buck walked to Josh in a few quick strides. He took a deep inhale and breathed out: “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course?” Josh said, one side of his mouth quirked. 

“I get that it may be too soon, and I don’t want to pressure you. I just really want to...or I want to know if...maybe we can-”

Josh leaned up and kissed him. Just a quick, soft press of the lips. Buck’s hands went to Josh’s waist automatically. Josh pulled back and looked at Buck, a smile playing on his lips. “Hey, Evan, would you like to go on a date with me?”

Buck barked out a relief filled laugh, looked down with a shy smile, and said: “Yes, please.” 

Buck brought his hands to Josh’s face and kissed him again. Only deepening it a little when Josh’s back hit the counter. 

They stayed like that until the eggs began to burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm sorry about the sweatshirt. I have a thing for wearing someone's sweatshirt. ESPECIALLY if it has their name on the back. Goodness. I hope you enjoyed these goons. I will write a second part! I will include the hostage situation and stuff. And hopefully vaguely follow cannon.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is my first fic ever. 
> 
> Like ever ever. 
> 
> I hope you don't hate it. I would love constructive criticism, just, ya know, don't be mean. Please?


End file.
